Coming up with an idea for a business or creative project can feel exhilarating. Inspiration for a new idea can come from so many places and we’ve asked some great folks from the community to share their stories of how they came up with their ideas.

Yoky Matsuoka

I have always been motivated to create technology that helps people be who they want to be. I’ve worked in academia as a professor at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Washington, where I founded the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering and the Neurobotics Laboratory. We merged these fields to create devices that would restore the human body’s capabilities for sensation and movement, and leveraged early AI to map brain signals to limbs, ultimately creating the first brain-powered robotic hand. Read more>>

Mia Montero

I fell in love with the idea of hat making when I worked for a hat maker in my hometown during college. I knew nothing about it, and had no understanding of how a hat is made. Seeing the process and watching the hat be made perfectly for the customer was so inspiring! I had to learn and my boss was so kind in teaching me and giving me all the tips of how to become a hatter. Read more>>

Kennedy Meehan

Small businesses were immensely affected by COVID-19, as were recent college graduates and undergraduate students when trying to find jobs and internships in their field. When everything in society went digital, I recognized an opportunity for businesses to capitalize on social media and collaborating with influential figured in their niche. Read more>>

Rachel Zanders

I love burning candles, but often found myself overwhelmed by the strong (and usually sweet) scents. I wanted a candle I could burn without overpowering or offending guests… enough scent to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. After researching, I realized how toxic those strong candles were and was determined to make something that is safe for humans, pets and the environment and smells amazing. Read more>>

Rolan Pongpuntara

I been a pharmacy tech for about 5-6 years and what I fell in love with is alternative medicine. The idea of my small business comes from my experience working as a pharmacy technician to my healing journey. As I was healing, I have worked on many recipes to help people “heal through food.” I feel that eating healthy and with intention is a lifestyle. This doesn’t mean you have to be on a diet, it just means to eat with intention. Read more>>

Eduardo Arteaga

It all started as a hobby. I began to photograph mostly everything that caught my attention. Eventually, my curiosity and desire to learn more about photography led me to realize that I needed to take additional training, and a lot more practice. I took online courses, watched hundreds of videos and read a lot of books on the subject. Additionally, I gathered the proper software tools and learned how to use them. Read more>>

Ari and Keke Dixon

For years, be both separately knew we wanted to take on a philanthropic endeavor, but we just weren’t share what and when it would be, Ari: “I always had a strong urge to give back in some capacity. Every Thanksgiving I would always volunteer in the mornings, and then go to my families house in the afternoon. Even as a kid, I was apart of “Boys n Girls Club”, so we volunteered very often. Read more>>

Kaila King

Kaila’s Kandles started out as a side hustle rather than a business. I wanted a way to make extra money on the side to support my children and myself since I am a single mom. It took me awhile to decide on what I wanted to do that would keep my interest and something people would always need that’s a creative outlet for me. What popped into my head was candles. Read more>>

Zeriyah Griffin

Yes we do manufacture our own products, It all started on Amazon, once we had the idea that we would make bracelets we started searching or bracelet making kits that came with the tools we needed to start, such as the clay beads, elastic string, letters to include worded bracelets, and much more. We had the initial idea of how to make a bracelet (beads and string) but our creativity beckoned us forward and we wanted to include charms, utilize snake chain bracelets, and experiment with different types of beads. Read more>>

Filesen Bure

How can I create ideas? That’s a great question. I get in touch with my client as soon as I receive a request for the event. I want to highlight how much I like talking to people in-depth about who they are, what they want, what makes them happy, and the main purpose of this event. Because I want to be relatable, I also get a little personal. After they feel comfortable sharing this with me, I take their suggestions and further explore the color schemes and patterns that will work best for them. Read more>>

Amber Ennis

I’ve always had a love for creating ever since I was little. My grandparents very much encouraged my creativity and helped by getting me supplies for my many interests. From crocheting to painting to candle making I was always happiest when I was able to create something whether it was a work of art or a gift for someone special. I loved putting my love and energy into something handmade. Read more>>

Gonzalo Di Primio

In March 2021, I arrived in Florida with the determination to transform my life. My family and I ventured on a journey to discover new horizons. Upon arrival, I was surprised by the prosperous economy and dynamic marketplace, permeated with a consumerist spirit. It was then that I realized that the conditions were ideal for starting any type of business. I had and still have the opportunity to interact with numerous entrepreneurs and companies with brilliant ideas. Read more>>

Amber Hill

After many years in the classroom, God placed it upon her heart to write Children’s books to promote early learning skills and diverse literature. As an educator, I found our youngest learners were coming to school unprepared with the basic foundational skills to be successful in school. In addition, their joy of reading books diminished as they grew older into the intermediate grades (3-5). Read more>>

Aiesha Collins

Training was actually never on my radar. I got into training purely by circumstance. I overworked myself in a workout, and as a result, couldn’t move for the next 8 days. I went to see an orthopedic doctor, where some body tests and X-rays were done. From those tests, he advised I had degenerative arthritis in both my knees and if I wanted to walk at age 50, I needed to stop all heavy squatting and lunging, or any lifting that required bending at the knees. Read more>>

Brooke Ray

The idea of Locust Lane came through my own struggles decorating my home. We had recently done a major renovation on a historic home in downtown Huntsville, AL . I was on the hunt for a hand knotted rug for my dining room. I realized a handcrafted rug was a big investment, so I didn’t want to make a mistake. Trying to navigate the actual colors of all the rugs I was finding was near impossible. It was then and there, I decided to solve my own problem and founded Locust Lane. Read more>>

Jesse Reich

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I felt that we were severely lacking in representation throughout the tattooing industry, especially in my hometown of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Throughout the course of my apprenticeship I felt stifled by the attitudes around me and the antiquated views of life and tattooing that abound in this industry. These attitudes pushed me to start my own LGBTQ+-centered shop where all are welcome and can exist without judgment or fear. Read more>>

Kristi Hunt

I am a major foodie – everything from shopping for it, cooking and experimenting with recipes, photographing and creating beautiful displays, learning how it can impact overall health and of course…eating it. My passion for food goes back to my early childhood days when I would play “cooking show” and put together my very own experiments for my parents to “enjoy” [lol]. Read more>>

 James Kwon

Born and raised in Brooklyn, grew up obsessed with pizza. South Brooklyn was one of the main hubs of New York City Pizza and began eating it every single day as a kid. As I got older, started traveling or other neighborhoods and boroughs to try all the best pizza in the city. Went to New Haven, Connecticut, Chicago, and even Naples for the love of pizza. Worked in the real estate and finance industry after college and was eating my favorite place at the time for lunch. Became friends with the pizza guys and struck up a friendship which soon became a business deal. Give me a call for the full story. Read more>>

Brody Parksua

Picture this: the pandemic had us all feeling trapped and my mental well-being was taking a nosedive. I was itching for some social interaction, something different. That’s when I stumbled upon the meta quest and this wild thing called VRchat. It’s a world where literally anything is possible. If you can dream it there is a way to build it. So I dived in, Realizing id need help, something amazing happened. Read more>>

 Paige Fix

I have always been driven to make the world a better place and dreamed of doing something big to make that happen. I started Shelter Pawz while attending college pursuing a degree in Social Work and working at an animal shelter in youth programs. While working at the local animal shelter, I became incredibly passionate about finding ways to strengthen the bond between children and shelter pets. Read more>>

Kimberly Licht

One night during quarantine 2020 my son wanted to read a book about Shabbat at bedtime. There was a recipe at the very end for making Hala. He asked if we could make it, and that was the beginning of a new adventure! My first attempt was an epic fail. I had no idea about the science of yeast, and it turned out to be hard as a rock. After a few more tries, I found a recipe that worked for me and then I just started experimenting with different fillings. Read more>>

Lets Rap Podcast

The idea basically came from our individual stories. Our story was a realization in our individual lives to you through us. We realized that a lot of us experience the same problems, but never seem to share how we deal with them. So we came to the conclusion that we needed to get this conversation out into the public, and that’s when the Let’s Rap Podcast was born. Lets Rap Podcast is a platform where we’re able to be open and stay true to ourselves. Read more>>

Lori Klonowski

Missy and I are avid pickeball players, we actually met on the pickle ball court. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America; and is such a great way to meet new friends! We knew that the sport alone was generating many avenues for interest; professional athletes and celebrities were buying teams, and sponsorships of players and products were accelerating! Read more>>

Susan Sandoval

Originally I desired work-life harmony and in the transition of leaving my corporate training career, I began to declutter my life as I empowered my clients to do the same. I was inspired to create a business that integrated life coaching and professional organizing as I saw the correlation between how well we could thrive in life based on the people, places, and things we surrounded ourselves with. I became a psychologist fascinated by human behavior and our relationships to clutter, messiness, chaos, and distractions. Read more>>

Billie Miller

In The Stars Wellness was inspired and created in memory of my late son RaeQuan Bascombe. With health, wellness, and natural products being of importance in our home for nearly a decade, he repeatedly encouraged me (mom) to create and curate my own products for everyone due to my love of herbal blends, and Essential Oils as well as mango and shea butters. I started creating recipes and formulas originally to assist us both with ADHD and other physical ailments almost a decade ago. Read more>>

London Spinelli

I originally started Camp Buzzkill with my best friend Marz Exe in 2020 as a way to get rid of old clothes we didn’t want and make some extra money, but quickly realized our skills would be much more useful by making our own clothes. I noticed that there weren’t many black owned alt fashion shops and thought we could DEFINITELY make some room for us in that space. Honestly I just wanted to make clothes that I wished other brands would sell. Read more>>

Ashante Dennard

I noticed every entrepreneur has different sources of incomes. You want to make it in America? You have to have income sources that allow you to invest in your ideas which create more resources for yourself and the people around you. A million dollars has always been a goal for me and that’s a great start to being financially free. There’s more and and more billionaires everyday so why not me? I came up with 7fig Inc to represent the go getters, and people who grind day in and out while believing in themselves through the process. Read more>>

Jonathan Sprinkles

In the second grade, one of my father’s business acquaintances asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Without blinking, I replied, “I want to be a consultant!” The only problem with this response was, I didn’t know what a consultant did. I heard them mention a consultant on television and liked the way the word sounded. Read more>>

J’Kia Tatum

Transparent Progression was a vision given to me by God in 2018 after surviving domestic violence in marriage. I aspire to help others, both men and women, who were like myself; stuck, depressed, suicidal, and broken from trauma. Adamant to help others walk in true healing, I answered the call. Read more>>

Zeke Ruelas

The first time I saw the Universal film Billy Elliot back in 2000, I was filled with so much emotion. It’s a movie that I could completely relate to – a young boy from a working-class family unexpectedly falls in love with dance. I proudly come from a family of longshoremen; my father, his father, my uncles, my mother, my sister . . . everyone. I did longshoring for a couple of years, but I always knew I had a different creative path to pursue. I had always loved dance and photography, so I was always playing around with both. Knowing I had to focus on one career, I started out as a professional dancer. Read more>>

Aliesha Renea

I was living in an LGBTQ shelter in 2016 and I noticed that everyone was going through the same problems mentally. Some of us had bad anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and was trying to be comfortable in our own skin. However what I also noticed was that people loved fashion. They loved looking their best. So I decided to come up with my awareness brand where I could talk about real societal issues that I actually go through that people can relate to and just combine it with fashion. That’s when “Aliesha Renea” was started. Read more>>

Mary Margaret Vollmar

I’ve always been interested in photography. For as long as I can remember, my dad always had a camera in hand and took endless amounts of photos of us as kids. So, you could say its been engrained in me since birth. In college, one of my best friends started her photography business and I helped her think through some of the business aspects and even modeled for her when she was first starting up. Read more>>

Elise Jenkins

Ella’s House was born out of my own college experience. Finding out you’re unexpectedly pregnant always comes with big emotions, but as a 21-year-old Senior at Auburn University, I was absolutely terrified. Facing your final year of college pregnant isn’t easy and I didn’t know anyone who had previously navigated the journey of motherhood while pursuing a degree. Read more>>

Mashawn Robertson

Working in the healthcare industry of the federal government I saw a problem they had and I created a solution. Way back in 2010 the swine flu, H1N1 influenza, and just previously the Covid-19 pandemic healthcare facilities, labs, and other medical providers and practices needed same day or overnight delivery of medical supplies, organs, blood, etc so I created a medical courier business to solve that issue. Read more>>

Ernesto Guerrero

Since I live in Miami, near the beach, marinas, etc, I got to experience its marine side. From jetskis, boats to yachts, which I have always admire and enjoy to see. My first experience was the first time I rented a boat, it was such a great experience. My friends and I, enjoyed it so much to be able to see the city from a yacht. Afterwards I decided to buy my first boat, which at the beginning was just for pleasure, but along the way I met many boat owners, which I learned they used their boats not only for personal use, but also for rentals. Read more>>

Elyse Dworin

For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a teacher and I loved being in the classroom. I was the type of teacher that put my all into my job, and as a result, my work-life-balance was never what one would refer to as balanced. So, once I started having children of my own, I needed to reconsider my options. I quickly came up with the idea of tutoring, but it just didn’t feel like enough. Read more>>

Amanda Nguyen

It all started while on a trip with some friends in 2019. We grew up playing a lot of volleyball, so we were looking for a net and court where we could get a good game in. There were no nets around, but there was something else — a wooden bridge going across a pool we had access to. We ended up playing a game where instead of hitting the ball over the net, we hit the ball against the bridge to the other team. Read more>>

David Mankey

I came up with the idea for my first film due to a bad experience with LSD. I took what I learned from a bad trip, and tried to portray the feelings and thoughts of the experience into the mind of a large mill worker who had been dosed with the same substance. I thought that a killer, with only revenge on what little mind he had left after the drugging would be the most terrifying thing imaginable. Honestly, I had no idea if it was a worthwhile endeavor. Read more>>

Sarah Mae Ives

I’ve never fit in at the traditional 9-5 job. I was a good girl though, and did all the traditional “steps” that were expected of me! I went to school, got a Master’s degree and started climbing the corporate ladder, but when I realized that didn’t make me feel good, I started thinking really hard about what else I could (and wanted to) do. That began a decade-long search and struggle for what made for a good business choice. I got sucked down the vortex of bad businesses and wasted a lot of time! Read more>>

 Joey Wiz

As a kid, I was a skateboarding and involved in the punk/hardcore/metal scene in Milwaukee. It was a loud, loose, vibrant, and eye-opening time. That scene developed my core style of music, my closest friends, and our fashion. As I grew up, I always enjoyed keeping that punk ethos in my style. However, it didn’t translate well to when I wanted to represent my home town and home state. At the time, most state or local pride gear was generic stuff you’d get at the airport – nothing remotely like I or my friends would wear. So, we started making our own. Read more>>

Ellen Greenberg

After semi-retiring from the film business as a production and costume designer, a friend recommended that I would enjoy being a docent at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) She was right! Art has always been a huge part of my life…from designing clothes for my dolls when I was six, to creating artistic environments and characters for film, Read more>>

Dr. Verna Caddie.

My entrepreneurial journey began with a personal struggle, where I faced a daily problem that lacked reliable solutions. Recognizing that others might be experiencing the same challenge, I felt a strong desire to find a solution and make a positive impact. It was during a moment in my cluttered home office, surrounded by notes and research, that the idea for my business struck me. As I delved deeper into understanding the problem and exploring potential solutions, a wave of excitement and determination washed over me, as if all the pieces of the puzzle had finally come together. Read more>>

Sharif Bennett

My co-founders and I had all individually attempted to break into the entertainment business. Prince Ace, CEO, as a film producer, Julian Haffner, CLO, as an attorney and myself as an actor/standup/writer. While we had moderate success in our own ways, we all felt somewhat discouraged by the various barriers to entry (cost, networking etc). Read more>>

SHAMEKA WILLIAMS

Hi, my name is Shameka Williams. I am the owner of Fashion Palette, an online fashion store for women. Instead of a makeup palette, imagine a palette of different fashion genres. The idea for coming up with my business was a no brainer due to me being in retail fashion for over a decade. I previously managed two different worldwide retail chain stores for years, in which I also partook in a few store openings. Read more>>

Brandon Wilds

Wild House Recordings was first a radio show, interviewing and showcasing the indie and underground talent in New York City. The radio show discontinued so I can focus on my studies while attending LIU Brooklyn while pursuing my career in photography and film. Once the show ended, I was determined to bring back my brand, reinvented. Read more>>